Means for decorating edible products



y 1944- 'c. E. SEAGREN 2,353,594

MEANS FOR DECORATING EDIBLE PRODUCTS Filed Inlay 14, 194].

INVEN TOR.

YWWAuq/wn Patented July 11, 1944 MEANS FOR DECORATING EDIBLE PRODUCTS Carl Egard Seagren, Brookly N. Y. Application May 14, 1941, Serial No. 393,479

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method and means for decorating edible products, and particularly to the method of preforming, as a three dimensional decalcomania, a' decorative design which may subsequently be applied to the surface of an edible product such as a cake.

Cakes, such as birthday cakes and the like,

are frequently made with more or less elaborate decorative designs and/or inscriptions formed thereon, but it has always been found necessary to make up the decorations as they are applied, either from a mass of material suitable for application by means of a pastry tube, or from'individual units such as preformed letters or words which are placed in position by hand. In accordance with the present invention a decoration of any desired complexity is first formed in reverse on a stiflly held sheet of material such as tissue paper, after which the design may be transferred to the top of a cake (which may be iced or frosted in the usual manner) by placing the design and its backing on top of the cake with the backing uppermost and then moistening the backing to release the whole design onto the plain, iced, or frosted, surface of the cake; the backing then being lifted ofi while the three dimensional decoration remains on the cake.

A practical embodiment of the invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 represents a bottom plan view of a tissue paper tray having a decorative design applied in reverse thereto;

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of the tray, showing the design as it will appear when applied to a cake;

Fig. 3 represents a vertical section through the tray shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows the tray in inverted position as applied to an iced or frosted cake, this view being a vertical section through the tray and the cake; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that the tray has been lifted from the cake, leaving the design in position on the icing or frosting of the latter.

Referring to the drawing, a tray is formed of a relatively stiff ring I of cardboard or similar material, and a backing sheet 2 of thin tissue paper which should be readily .pervious to moisture; the tissue paper being secured peripherally to the edge of the ring by means of any suitable adhesive. A decorativedesign 3 is applied to the outer surface of the tissue paper in any convenient manner, as by means of a pastry tube. While various materials might be used for the design one material which has been found to be particularly suitable is a piping jelly composed of agar, glycerine, citric or tartaric acid, vegetable coloring and flavoring, this material being desirable because it is convenient to work with, is durable, is not effected by normal temperature changes, is notgreasy, may be given any desired coloring, will detach itself readily from its backing upon the application of moisture, and is generally accepted as being edible and harmless.

When it is desired to use a design preformed as just described, the tray bearing the design is inverted on top of the cake 4 to be decorated and is allowed to rest lightly thereon. The operator then moistens thoroughly the entire inside surface 2' of the tissue paper, which operation is conveniently performed with the aid of a soft brush. Within a time 'which, with the composition named, is from 30 seconds to two minutes the tray may be removed and the complete design will be found to be transferred to the surface of the cake, as shown in Fig. 5.

It is not necessary for all parts of the design to have a uniform height, since small parts such as those shown in cross section at 3' will transfer readily, due either to their attachment to larger parts, or to a sagging of the moistened tissue paper permitting such small parts to contact the surface of the cake, or to the partial embedding of thicker parts into the icing or frosting 5 with the same effect, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. It has been found that a design made as described can be applied to substantially any surface, whether hard or soft, including stiff frostings, soft whipped cream icings, or ice cream.

This invention permits the manufacture of decorative design units which may be stored without deterioration and shipped conveniently to distant points, and which can be readily applied when desired in order that highly artistic products may be made without dependence on the artistic ability, if any, of the operator applying the design. The mounting of the paper backing sheet on a ring of stiff material facilitates stacking of the units for storage or shipment and makes them very easy to handle, as well as preventing the spilling of any water onto the cake surface while the design is being applied.

It will be understood that various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts, and in the steps of the method, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not intend to be limited to the details herein shown and described, except as they may be included in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. An article of the character described comprising, a thin pervious backing sheet, a threedimensional design formed of edible soluble material detachably secured to one surface of the sheet and projecting in relief above said surface, and a relatively stiff ring secured to the periphery of said sheet and projecting above the plane of said sheet only on the side opposite to that which bears the design.

2. An article of the character described comprlsins. a thin pervious backing sheet, a three- CARL EGARD SEAGREN. 

